LOS ANGELES — Four members of the violent street gang MS-13 were convicted Thursday of participating in three murders carried out in the Angeles National Forest in 2017, including one killing in which a victim was dismembered and his heart was removed from his chest, federal prosecutors said.
A federal jury found the defendants guilty of racketeering conspiracy and violent crimes in aid of racketeering — murder.
The convicted defendants are:
- Angel Amadeo Guzman, 31, of Panorama City
- Fernando Garcia Parada, 28, of Panorama City
- Edgard Velasquez, 43, of Reseda
- Jose Jonathan Castillo, 34, of Koreatown
All four remain in federal custody.
Quick Facts
- Defendants convicted: 4 alleged MS-13 members
- Location: Angeles National Forest, California
- Charges: Racketeering conspiracy and murder in aid of racketeering
- Victims: 3
- Trial length: 17 days
- Sentencing date: Oct. 20
- Potential punishment: Mandatory life sentences
- Investigating agencies: FBI, LAPD, LASD, Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office
According to evidence presented during a 17-day trial, MS-13, also known as Mara Salvatrucha, operates through local factions known as cliques, including the Fulton clique in the San Fernando Valley and the Francis clique near MacArthur Park. Prosecutors said the gang generates revenue through drug trafficking, extortion, robberies and other criminal activities.
Federal prosecutors said gang members used extreme violence, including murder, to gain status and authority within the organization.
Three Murders Linked to MS-13
Jurors found that between March and June 2017, the defendants participated in three separate murders on behalf of the gang.
In March 2017, a victim accused of painting rival gang graffiti was targeted for death after Velasquez allegedly authorized the killing. Prosecutors said Guzman, Garcia and others abducted the victim, strangled him and transported him to the Angeles National Forest, where he was attacked with machetes. His body was later dismembered, his heart removed and his remains thrown into a canyon.
In April 2017, Guzman and other conspirators killed a second victim who had fled El Salvador without the gang’s permission while under suspicion of cooperating with law enforcement. Prosecutors said the victim was lured to the forest through a catfishing scheme involving a teenage girl’s Facebook account before being murdered.
In June 2017, Castillo, Garcia and others killed a third victim, an alleged MS-13 associate accused of exaggerating his rank within the gang. The victim was taken to the forest and stabbed and hacked to death, according to trial evidence.
Sentencing Scheduled
U.S. District Judge Stanley Blumenfeld Jr. scheduled sentencing hearings for Oct. 20. Each defendant faces one or more mandatory life sentences in federal prison.
Federal prosecutors said they have secured more than 30 convictions in the broader MS-13 racketeering case.
In November 2025, five additional MS-13 members were convicted in connection with six other murders committed to increase their standing within the gang. Sentencing in those cases is pending.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.